Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland has announced he will step down from his position.

Sutherland, who has been at the helm of Cricket Australia since 2001, made the announcement on Wednesday that he would serve out his notice period of 12 months to give the organisation time to find a suitable replacement for the long-serving administrator.

He said it was something he has been thinking about for some time, despite having indicated in the fall-out of the ball tampering scandal in South Africa that he wanted to stay on in the position.

“After nearly 20 years at Cricket Australia, the time is right,” Sutherland said. “I feel very comfortable that this is the right time for me and a good time for the game.”

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